Friction pivot for jewelry article



March 17, 1970 R. G. GLOSS 3,500,511

FRICTION PIvOT FOR JEWELRY ARTICLE Filed May 17, 1968 INVENTOR. RICHARDG. GLOSS United States Patent 3,500,511 FRICTION PIVOT FOR JEWELRYARTICLE Richard G. Gloss, Cranston, R.I., assignor to Gloss & GrimCompany, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed May 17, 1968, Ser. No.730,186 Int. Cl. A44c 7/00; A44b 21/00 US. Cl. 24-248 3 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A pivot joint for jewelry clasps and the like in whichtwo ears are on one part which is resistant to deformation with an armbetween these ears formed with cam surfaces to engage the inner surfaceof the ears when the pivoted parts are in closed position but swingingfrom out of the ears when the parts are in open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the jewelry art means for frictioningpivoted parts has occurred in several different ways usually employingsome resilient action. Often both parts which friction together areresilient, which is not desirable as it requires just the correct temperin two parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the pivoting of two parts together in thepresent invention, there is utilized a pair of ears on one part whichare resistant to deformation while in between these cars there is theother part which in this instance comprises arms back to back so that noreslient action occurs, and on these arms cams are provided to engagethe ears spreading the ears as the parts are moved to closed positionbut moving the cams out from between the ears when in open position,thus providing the cams on one part and the resilience in the otherpart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of theclasp in closed position;

FIG. 2 is an edge elevation in closed postion;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation with the clasp in open position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view looking at the pivotal connection with theparts in open position and on substantially line 44 of FIG. 3 showingthe ears as moved inwardly against the arms of the other part;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the arms showing the location of the camthereon; and

FIG. 7 is an edge view thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustration of anembodiment of this invention is shown as applied to a jewelry clasp orcli comprising two jaws which are pivoted adjaient their end and may bemoved toward or away from each other. One of the members is designted 10and the other member is designated 11. The member 10 comprises anelongated jaw 12 having a rounded contacting free end 13 and a pair ofears 14 bent from the shank part 12 at generally right angles theretoand in spaced relation to each other.

The member 11 comprises an elongated shank part 15 bent as at 16 toprovide a contacting portion 17 at its ice free end with the sheet stock15 folded inwardly in generally U-shape fashion forming a bridgeconnection 19 while at its hinged end the spaced walls 20 thereof arebrought into contiguous relation so as to provide arms 21 locatedbetween the ears 14 Where a pivot 25 extends through the ears 14 and thearms 21 to pivotly relate the parts 10 and 11. Along the contiguous arms21 on their outer surfaces cams 26 are provided. When the parts 10 and11 are in open relation as shown in FIG. 3, the earns 26 will be outsideof the cars 14 as there shown. However, as the parts 11 and 10 are swungabout pivot 25 into closed position as shown in FIG. 1, then the cams 26will enter between the ears 14 and spread the ears into the positionshown in FIG. 2, thus placing greater tension on the ears and serving,by means of this tension, to hold the parts 10 and 11 in closed positionor in any intermediate position in which the cams contact and tend tospread the cars 14. When closed, the cams are concealed. These cams maybe tapered for easy initial entrance between the ears as the closureoccurs. By reason of this relation the entire friction action isdependent to large extent upon the bending resistance in the ears 14.The material is chosen to exhibit suflicient elasticity to allow theears to return to normal configuration after stress, and the heavy stockbridging back portion lends a good strong support for the ears toachieve this end result.

The bend 16 in the shank 15 provides for some resilience in thecontacting pad 17 at the clamping portion of the jaw 11 which may be sorelated to the friction action above referred to that a flexing willoccur and a cushion result obtained when a desired clamping action isattained.

I claim:

1. A jewelry article comprising a pair of members, means to pivot saidmembers adjacent their ends to swing toward each other to closedposition and from each other to open position, said means comprisingspaced ears on one member and folded together back to back contiguousarms on the other member located between said ears, said ears havinginherent resistance to deformation, cam protuberances in the oppositeouter faces of said arms engaging and frictioning said ears tending toforce them apart when said members are in closed position and movingfrom between said ears when in open position.

2. A jewelry article as in claim 1 wherein said ears extend at generallyright angles to the length of the member on which they are located, andsaid arms hav:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,303,267 11/1942 Goodwin.

3,267,694 8/1966 Ficocelli.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 63-14

